Internal-combustion power-generator.



2 $EEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

- II I P vA. PBLLETIER. INTERNAL COMBUSTION POWER GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1910.

THE mamas PETERS ca. wnsnmarou, 1:.c.

A. PELLETIER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION POWER GENERATOR.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

APPLI 0ATION FILED MAY 14. 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I llllllllll ALFRED PELLETIER, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION POWER-GENERATOR.

erases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed May 14:, 1910. Serial No. 581,491.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED PELLETIER, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Internal- Combustion Power-Generators, of which the following is a complete specification.

My invention relates to improvements in internal combustion power generators which are especially adapted to generate power for either turbine or reciprocating engines, and to drive the engine or power unit by means of explosive impulses alone, or by means of explosive impulses alternating with one or more pneumatic impulses after each explosive impulse. The pneumatic impulses not only act to drive the power unit succeeding each explosive impulse, but

also, by reason of the expansion of the air in the cylinder, they act to cool the cylinder and to convert the heat from the cylinder into power. The pneumatic impulses also act to clean and scour the cylinder and render the mechanism more reliable.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a power generator of great efficiency, and which will be economical both as regards its fuel consumption and its cost of maintenance; to provide a power generator which can be operated with absolute safety, and which will be sanitary by reason of its being smokeless; and to provide a power generator which will occupy a minimum amount of space with respect to its capacity.

A specific construction embodied in the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the internal combustion power generator, shown connected with a turbine engine and with parts of the operating mechanism removed. F 2 is an end elevation of the internal combustion power generator and operating mechanism therefor. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the electric igniting mechanism. Fig. 4: is a vertical section of the internal combustion power generator and a portion of the turbine engine. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line a"00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the detachable gear and its connection with the fuel valve operating mechanism. Fig. 7 is a side elevation adapted to connect the controlling lever with the governor. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the operating mechanism for the circuit breaker. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the starting lever. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the fuel valve operating cam.

In the construction shown, the internal combustion power generator 1, comprises a combustion cylinder 2, which is preferably provided at its upper end with a tapering extension 3 to provide more heating surface. The cylinder 2 and its extension 3 are surrounded with a water jacket 4 which has a supply pipe 5 leading from any suitable source of water supply. An exhaust pipe 6 is connected in the top of the water jacket and is adapted to take care of the steam which is generated in the water jacket.

When oil or other liquid fuels are used which require a relatively high degree of heat for their vaporization preparatory to combustion, it will be preferable to provide the pipe 6 with a safety valve, not shown, so as to retain the steam in the jacket under pressure and thereby preserve the heat in the jacket. When, however, gas or gasolene or other volatile liquid fuels are used, the pipe 6 may be left open, and by permitting the mechanism to be driven by one or more pneumatic impulses after each explosive impulse the temperature of the explosive cylinder will be kept comparatively low.

The combustion cylinder 2 is supported upon and in axial alinement with a cold or receiving cylinder 7 in which is a reciprocating piston 8 which is connected by means of a hollow piston rod 9 with a piston 10 in the combustion cylinder 2. The piston 10 has a central passage 11 which communicates with the bore of the rod 9, and a tapered hood 12 is provided on the upper end of the piston 10 and has a plurality of passages 13 leading from its inner side outwardly into the cylinder 2, which passages serve to distribute the air and mix it with the fuel in the combustion cylinder before the explosive impulse. This arrangement affords a continuous passage between the cool or receiving cylinder 7 and the combustion cylinder 2 by means of which air Q erases may pass freely from the receiving cylinder to the combustion cylinder.

In the lower end of the cylinder 7 is a pad 1 1- which is preferably formed of rubher and is provided with a central opening adapted to receive the lower end of the rod 9. By this arrangement it will be seen that upon the descent of the pistons S and 10 a small quantity of air will be imprisoned between the face of said piston 8 and the pad 14, which air acts as a cushion to check the downward movement of the piston.

A forked rocker arm 16 is connected at one end with the piston rod 9 and its other end is rigidly secured to a rock shaft 17 which is j ournaled in suitable bearings at the lower end of the cylinder 2 and in a frame 57 at one side of the cylinder. The shaft 17 is driven from the power shaft 18 of the engine or power unit by means of suitable connections which will be hereinafter described.

An admission port 19 leads from the cylinder 2 into the engine casing 35, and permits the motive fluid to escape from the cylinder 2 into said casing. Said port is located near the bottom of the cylinder 2 and when the piston 10 moves upwardly it closes said port.

Mounted on the side of the power generator 1 is a fuel valve 22 which has a closure 20 controlling a port 21 leading from the valve into the cylinder 2. A fuel pipe 60 leads from any suitable source of fuel supply, not shown, and connects in said valve. At the same time that the piston 10 closes the port 19, the fuel valve closure opens the port 21 and admits fuel to the combustion cylinder 2, and just before the pistons 8 and 10 reach their upper limit of movement the valve closure 20 closes the port 21.

A pipe 73 leads from an air compressor, not shown, and opens into the lower portion of the cold or receiving cylinder 7 through a port 23. While the pistons 8 and 10 are at their upper limit of movement the port 23 is open and compressed air enters the receiving cylinder 7. When the pistons 8 and 10 move downwardly the compressed air passes to the combustion cylinder 2 through the piston rod 9 and passage 11, and by means of the passages 13-13 the compressed air is thoroughly mixed with the fuel to form the explosive mixture. hen the pis tons 8 and 10 near their lower limit of movement the admission port 19 for the engine is opened, and just before or at the same time that said port opens the explosive mixture ignites and escapes through the port 19 into the engine and the impulse thereof acts to drive the rotary element 2 1 of the engine and perform work. After each explosive impulse the combustion cylinder 2 is highly heated, and in order to utilize that heat and convert it into power, one or more pneu-' matic impulses are admitted from the gen erator to the revolving element 241: of the en gine after each explosive impulse.

In order to provide the pneumatic impulses the compressed. air enters the cylinder 7 through the port 23, when the pistons 8 and 10 move upwardly. When said pistons reach their upper limit of movement they are permitted to drop by gravity, as will be hereinafter explained, and the compressed air passes through rod 9 and passages 11 and 13 to the combustion cylinder 2. While the compressed air is in the cylinder 2 it becomes highly heated with the result that its pressure is greatly increased, and when the piston 10 reaches its lower limit it opens the admission port 19 and the air rushes into the engine and drives the element 2 1. The pneumatic impulses not only act to drive the element 24: of the engine but they also serve to cool the cylinder 2, and since the air is expanded by the heat the heat is converted into power.

For the purpose of operating the pistons S and 10 I provide a bell-crank lever which is loosely mounted on the shaft 17 and comprises arms 32 and 25, the latter of which is pivotally connected to an actuating bar 26. The actuating bar is provided with an elongated slot 27 which is adapted to reciprocate on the engine shaft 18. An eecentric or cam 28 is secured on the shaft 18 and is adapted to engage with rollers 29 and 30 on the bar 26 and reciprocate the bar and thereby rock the bell-crank lever. A detachable gear 34L is rigidly secured on the shaft 17 adjacent to the bell-crank, and a pawl 31 is carried on the arm 32 of the bellcrank and engages said gear. From this arrangement it will be seen that when the shaft 18 rotates the cam or eccentric 28 will reciprocate the bar 26 and thereby operate the bell-crank lever. \Vhen the cam 28 contacts with the roller 30 the bell-crank lever will cause the pawl 31 to engage the gear 3 1 and rock the shaft 17 in a direction to raise the pistons 8 and 10. Vhen the pistons have reached the upper limit of their movement the cam 28 reverses the movement of the bell-crank lever thereby releasing the pawl from the gear 341- and permitting the pistons to fall by gravity to their low-er limit of movement. The movements of the pistons admit motive fluid from the generator to the engine casing 35 to drive the element 24.

For the purpose of regulating the amount of power generated with respect to the amount of power required, a detent control ling lever 36 having a cam thereon is loosely mounted on the shaft 17 adjacent to the gear 34. and in such position that the cam may raise the pawl 31 out of engagement with said gear. A notched sector 37 is loosely mounted on the shaft 17 in position to be engaged by the detent of said lever. A centrifugal governor 41 is mounted on avertical shaft 42 which is journaled in bearings 43 and 44 carried on the engine casing 35. A spiral gear 45 is rigidly secured on the engine shaft 18 and meshes with a spiral gear 46 which is rigidly secured on the shaft 42 so as to drive said shaft.

A grooved collar 47 is connected with the governor 41 and is slidably mounted on the shaft 42. A bell-crank lever, having arms 40 and 48, is rigidly secured on a rock shaft 50 which is ournaled in a bearing arm 51 mounted on the casing 35. The arm 48 is provided with rollers 49 which form a bearing in the collar 47, and a connecting rod 39 connects the arm 40 with the arm 38 on the sector 37.

hen the speed of the rotary element 24 increases, the governor will rise under the action of centrifugal force, and by means of the collar 47 it will rock the bell-crank arms 48 and 40 in such a way as to cause the rod 39 to pull the arm 38 and cause the cam on the lever 36 to throw the pawl 31 out of engagement with gear 34 and thereby stop the action of the pistons 8 and 10.

For the purpose of operating the fuel valve 22 the closure 20 is rigidly secured on a stem 52, which has an end block 53 at its lower end, and carried on the block is a roller 54. A two teat cam is rigidly secured on the shaft 56 in position to contact with the roller 54 and operate the valve closure 20. The shaft 56 is journaled in the frame 57 and in a bearing 58 carried on the casing 35. A spring 59 is carried on the stem 52 and acts to normally hold the closure 20 is position to close the port 21. A six toothed ratchet 61 is rigidly secured on the shaft 56, and a rocker arm 62 is loosely mounted on said shaft adjacent to the ratchet, and is connected at one end with an arm on the gear 84 by means of a connecting rod 63. On the outer end of the rocker arm 62 is a pawl 64 which engages with the ratchet 61 and acts to rotate the shaft 56 when the gear 34 is rotated. Vith this arrangement the shaft 56 will make one sixth of a revolution for each stroke of the pistons 8 and 10, and as the cam 55 has two teats the fuel valve will open twice for each six strokes of the piston, and the rotary element for the power unit will receive two pneumatic impulses after each explosive impulse, inasmuch as an impulse, either pneumatic or explosive, is given after each stroke of the piston.

The fuel valve 22 may be placed either at the hot end or the cool end of the power generator, dependent upon the character of the fuel to be employed. If gasolene or gas is employed it is preferably placed at the cool end of the generator, and for oil or alcohol it is preferably placed at the hot end of the generator.

The operating cam 55 for the fuel valve 22 may of course be substituted by one having any desired number of teats thereon, so that fuel will be admitted to make an explosive impulse with every stroke of the piston, or after any desired number of pneu matic impulses.

For the purpose of operating the igniting mechanism 74 for the explosive mixture, an arm 65 is rigidly secured on the rock shaft 17, and a rocker lever 66 is loosely mounted on a shaft 68 which is journaled in the frame 57. A connecting rod 67 connects the arm 65 with one end of the lever 66. On the opposite end of the lever 66 is a pawl 69 which is adapted to engage a six toothed ratchet 70 which is rigidly secured on the shaft 68. A circuit breaker 71 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 68 and is adapted to make the circuit twice for each revolution of the shaft 68, or in other words to make the circuit every time the explosive mixture is admitted to the cylinder 2.

In order to start the power unit a removable starting lever 72 is provided in one end with a square hole adapted to engage the squared end of the shaft 17. The lever is placed on the end of the shaft 17, and by raising the lever the pistons 8 and 10 are moved upwardly thus admitting the 'motive fluid. On the downward movement of the pistons the motive fluid passes to the combustion cylinder 2 and is mixed for the explosive impulse. As soon as the admission port 19 is uncovered by the downward movement of the pistons, the igniting mechanism ignites the mixture which escapes into the power unit and drives the rotary element 24. As soon as the element 24 has obtained sufficient speed the controlling lever 36 is set so as to maintain the desired speed. To stop the power unit the controlling lever 36 is so set that its cam will hold the pawl 31 out or engagement with the gear 34, thereby stopping the pistons and the admission of the motive fluid.

I claim:

1. An internal combustion power generator. comprising a receiving cylinder, a combustion cylinder in axial alinement with the receiving cylinder, pistons in said cylinders, means rigidly connecting said pistons and affording a passage from one cylinder to the other, and means adapted to admit fuel to the combustion cylinder and compressed air to the receiving cylinder, the piston in the receiving cylinder being adapted to force the air through said passage and mix it with the fuel in the combustion cylinder.

2. An internal combustion power gener ator, comprising a receiving cylinder, a combustion cylinder mounted on the receiving cylinder and in axial alinement therewith, pistons in said cylinders having axial bores therein, a tubular piston rod connected in a said bores, a mixing hood 011 the piston in Y mix the air and fuel in the cylinders, means the combustion cylinder, and means for admitting compressed air and fuel into said cylinders.

3. An internal combustion power generator, comprising a receiving cylinder, a combustion cylinder mounted thereon and having a tapered end, a piston in the receiving cylinder, a piston in the combustion cylinder and having a tapered end to fit the tapered end of the combustion cylinder and provide additional cooling surface for said cylinder, a hollow piston rod connecting said pistons and affording a passage from one cylinder to the other, a fuel inlet valve, a compressed air inlet, means adapted to operate the pistons and mix the air and fuel in the combustion cylinder, and means adapted to ignite the explosive mixture thus formed.

t. An internal combustion power generator, comprising a receiving cylinder, a combustion cylinder, reciprocating pistons in said cylinders, a tubular piston rod connecting said pistons and affording a passage from one cylinder to the other, means for admitting fuel to the combustion cylinder, means for admitting compressed air to the receiving cylinder, and an apertured hood on one of the pistons adapted to mix the compressed air with the fuel.

5. An internal combustion power generator, comprising a receiving cylinder a combustion cylinder mounted thereon and in axial alinement therewith, pistons in said cylinders, a tubular piston rod connecting the pistons and providing a passage from one cylinder to the other, a port in the combustion cylinder adapted to be opened when the piston reaches its lower limit of movement, means for independently admitting compressed air and fuel to said cylinders, means adapted to mix the air and fuel in the combustion cylinder, and means adapted to ignite the mixture when the pistons reach their lower limit of movement.

6. An internal combustion power generator, comprising two cylinders in axial alinement, reciprocating pistons in said cylinders, means connecting said pistons and affording a passage from one cylinder to the other, means adapted to reciprocate said pistons, means adapted to admit compressed air to the cylinders at each stroke of the pistons, means adapted to admit fuel to the cylinders during part of the air admissions, means adapted to mix the air and fuel, means adapted to ignite the mixture, and a port adapted to convey the products of combustion and the air admitted succeeding the ignition to means for utilizing the pressure.

7. An internal combustion power generator, comprising axially alined cylinders, means adapted to independently admit compressed air and fuel to the cylinders, rigidly connected, reciprocating means adapted to adapted to ignite the mixture thus formed, and means adapted to convey the products of combustion from the cylinders for power purposes.

8. An internal combustion power generator, comprising axially alined cylinders, means adapted to intermittently admit compressed air to said cylinders, means adapted to admit fuel to the cylinders at regular in tervals and simultaneously with a portion of the air admissions, means adapted to mix the air and fuel simultaneously admitted, means adapted to ignite the mixture, and means adapted to convey away the products of combustion and the intervening air admissions to perform work.

9. An internal combustion power generator, comprising axially alined cylinders, pistons in said cylinders, means rigidly connecting said pistons and affording a passage from one cylinder to the other, a power unit, a port connecting said power unit with one of said cylinders, means operated by the power unit and adapted to reciprocate the pistons, a speed governor on the power unit, and means operated by said governor and adapted to control the operation of said pistons.

10. An internal combustion power generator, comprising axially alined cylinders, pistons in said cylinders, means adapted to admit compressed air and fuel to one of said cylinders to form explosive mixture, means adapted to ignite said mixture, a power unit, means adapted to deliver the products of combustion from the cylinder to the power unit, mechanism operated by the power unit and adapted to reciprocate said pistons, a centrifugal governor on the power unit, and means operated by said governor and adapted to stop said pistons at a predetermined speed of the power unit.

11. An internal combustion power generator, comprising a combustion cylinder and a receiving cylinder, means for admitting explosive mixture to said cylinders, connected pistons in said cylinders adapted to govern the explosive mixture in the cylinders, a power unit, means for admitting the motive fluid from one of the cylinders to the power unit, a rock shaft journaled on one of said cylinders, an arm connecting said shaft with said pistons, a gear on said shaft, a bell-crank lever loosely mounted on said shaft, means on the power unit adapted to operate said lever, a pawl on said lever adapted to engage the gear and operate the shaft, :1 speed governor on the power unit, and means operated by said governor and adapted to disengage the pawl :rrom the gear at a predetermined. speed of the power unit.

12. An internal combustion power generator, comprising alined cylinders, mechanism in the cylinders adapted to generate motive fluid, a rock shaft on said'cylinders, an arm connecting said shaft with said mechanism, a gear on the shaft, a hell-crank lever loosely mounted on the shaft, a power unit, means for delivering the motive fluid from the cylinders to said power unit, a bar connected with the bell-crank lever, means on the power unit adapted to reciprocate said bar, a pawl on the bell-crank lever adapted to engage said gear and operate the shaft, a cam lever loosely mounted on the shaft and having a cam adapted to engage the pawl, a toothed sector loosely mounted on the shaft and adapted to be connected with said cam lever, a centrifugal governor on the power unit, and means connecting said governor with said sector and adapted to operate the cam and disengage the pawl from the gear at a predetermined speed of the power unit.

13. An internal combustion power gener ator, comprising alined cylinders, a fuel admission valve in one cylinder, a compressed air admission valve in the other cylinder, mechanism in the cylinders adapted to mix the air and fuel to generate motive fluid, a rock shaft on said cylinders, an arm connecting said shaft with said mechanism, a gear on said shaft, a bell-crank lever loosely mounted on the shaft, a power unit, means for delivering the motive fluid from the cylinders to the power unit, a bar connected with the bell-crank lever, means on the power unit adapted to reciprocate said bar, a pawl on the bell-crank lever adapted to engage said gear and operate the shaft, a cam lever loosely mounted on said shaft and having a cam adapted to engage the pawl, a toothed sector loosely mounted on the shaft and adapted to be adjustably connected with said cam lever, a centrifugal governor on the power unit, means connecting said governor with said sector and adapted to operate the cam and disengage the pawl from the gear at a predetermined speed of the power unit, and means connected with said rock shaft and adapted to operate the fuel valve at a desired alternation with the operation of the compressed air valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub-- scribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED PELLETIER. Witnesses BARJIEL DE VOLDER, AUoUs'r PEARSON. 

